Rhode Island - A Grand Time in the Smallest State

Why, yes, that is 2023 in our rearview mirror and 2024 peeking over the horizon.  Our family was blessed with a happy holiday season, and I hope the same is true for all of you.  We added a bunch of new memories to our cache of beloved Christmas favorites, and had a delightful time doing it.  During one of my gift shopping expeditions, I spotted an “Indoor Snowball Fight” – a box of 16 soft, fleecy, fabric “snowballs.”  Alan and I gifted one box to our son and daughter-in-law and one box to our daughter and her boyfriend as the last gifts of Christmas night.  Let’s just say that the expected ensued, no one was hurt, nothing was damaged and the “kids” finally understood why Alan didn’t want to light the fireplace that evening.

Now that the busy holiday season is rapidly coming to a close, I’m picking up where I left off on our Little States trip of June 2023.  Alan and I had already spent a long weekend at the quirky Winter Island Maritime Park in Massachusetts.  Our next stop was Rhode Island, and we set up base camp at Fishermen’s Memorial State Park in Narragansett for a quick, two-night visit.  We managed to pack a lot into our short stay but, before we get to that, let me tell you about a mistake I made.

Fishermen’s Memorial State Park has four camping “Areas.”  I booked our campsite there so long ago, I don’t remember why I chose Area 4, but I did.  Our campsite wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t fabulous either.  Since we were using the campground as our base for exploring the area, we weren’t home much, so it didn’t really matter.  Had we been there just for camping and enjoying the State Park itself, it wasn’t the kind of site that I would have chosen – or would have been happy about.  After we arrived and toured the park, it became obvious that the best sites (in our humble opinion) were in Area 1.  If we return to Fishermen’s Memorial, I’d definitely book a site in that Area where the sites are more widely spaced and there isn’t so much understory.  Plus, the campsites in Area 1 had full hookups (water, electric and sewer); in Area 4, the sites were water and electric only.  Lesson learned.

Our campsite in Area 4

The Block Island Ferry runs out of Narragansett, but Alan and I were more interested in exploring the Rhode Island coastline than spending time boating over to Block Island.  Years ago, we had visited Newport and enjoyed the bustle of the city and the views of many impressive mansions from Cliff Walk.  On this visit, we leaned toward simpler pursuits, so we set our sights on the Point Judith Lighthouse and the East Bay Bike Path.  Interestingly, the closest parking to the Lighthouse is at the end of Route 108 (Ocean Road) at the U.S. Coast Guard Station.  Unfortunately, efforts to photograph the Lighthouse there are hampered by the station and the extremely unattractive fencing around it.  Since it’s a secure location, you can’t access the property unless you’re staff (or FedEx) and we, of course, were not.

Not so attractive from this vantage point - that's the Coast Guard Station on the left.

The better place to view the Point Judith Lighthouse is from the Cronin Point Fishing Area.  (These are the kind of gems you find when just “poking around” – a favorite pastime of ours.)  The access to Cronin Point and the actual Fishermen’s Memorial is also off Route 108 (Ocean Road), on the right before you reach the Coast Guard Station.

The Point Judith Lighthouse as seen from the Cronin Point Fishing Area

I can’t tell you how much we enjoyed this little fishing area and the Memorial for which the State Park is named.  There are great views of the Lighthouse, plenty of huge rocks to sit on and from which to enjoy the views of Block Island Sound.  Cronin Point even has a small, lovely and quiet beach area.

The sweet little beach was just past the breakwater.

The poignancy of the Fishermen’s Memorial made it very obvious just how much the people of Rhode Island respect, love and miss those who have been lost at sea.  The stone benches were thoughtful inclusions, and provided an appropriate view for quiet contemplation.  Telling, too, was the use of the word "gave" instead of "lost" in the inscription on the Memorial. 

"Dedicated to the memory of those who gave their lives to the sea."

We felt that this area was such an extraordinary find that we chose not to visit the two nearby State Beaches – Roger Wheeler and Salty Brine.  The fact that Rhode Island State Beaches charge a parking fee would not have deterred us from visiting any of them, but finding Cronin Point to be our kind of place did save us some bucks since parking there was free.  Parking for non-residents at the State Beaches would have run from $12.00 to $30.00 per day per car or $60.00 for a season’s pass.  Non-resident seniors would have paid $6.00 to $15.00 per day or $30.00 for a season’s pass.  I will happily spend money on worthwhile experiences, but we do have a favorite saying at our house that honors our frugal hearts – “Better in my pocket than theirs.”

Coins and stones on top of the Memorial document visits from family members and friends

Without a doubt, the highlight of our visit to this tiny state (just over 1,200 square miles!) was the East Bay Bike Path which runs between Bristol and Providence.  At 14.3 miles, this trail is one of the longest (and most popular) trails in the state.  It was inducted into the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame in 2009 and with good reason.  The trail is asphalt and well-maintained, and it offers an amazing variety of views as it skirts the water’s edge and winds through towns along the way.  It’s currently enjoying a 5 out of 5 rating on TrailLink (link HERE for more info), and it’s one of those trails that I’d return to in a heartbeat.

Overlooking the harbor at Independence Park - Bristol, Rhode Island

We accessed the East Bay Bike Path from Independence Park in Bristol, and I really don’t recall how far we rode.  I do remember, very clearly, I might add, that we made a refreshing pit stop at Del’s Lemonade!  Del’s is located right off the trail, just before it intersects with Child Street in Warren.  What a treat – and what a ride!  If Alan and I were Siskel and Ebert, we’d definitely give this one a two thumbs up.

Del's is housed in the old Train Depot in Warren - right next to the rail-trail, of course!

So, let’s think.  What would be a perfect follow up to a fabulous ride on a spectacular bike trail?  Yes!  Ice cream!  Having fallen into the (very bad) habit of searching for the “best homemade ice cream” in whatever location we’re in, I identified Brickley’s as the place to go.

Look at that line!  (It speaks volumes, doesn't it?)

To me, choosing Brickley’s more than made up for my mistake in booking us into the Area 4 campsite.  I figured we were onto something good when we saw the line to order.  Once we had our cones in hand, I knew for sure that we were onto something good.  I can promise you right now – if we return to Rhode Island, Brickley’s will be on the “must do again” list.  We stopped at the Brickley’s location in Wakefield on our way back to our campsite that day, but there’s also another location in Narragansett.

Yes, I'm a waffle cone fan.  Oh, YUM!

The next morning, we were moving on to Hammonasset Beach State Park in Connecticut which was just 73 miles down the road.  In less than an hour and a half, we would cross the state line and arrive at our next destination, but that didn’t quite cover the gap between check out time at Fishermen’s Memorial and check in time at Hammonasset Beach.  Knowing that we’d need a place to hang out for a short while – and knowing that our truck and trailer combination wouldn’t fit at Cronin Point - Alan and I scoped out the parking lot at the U.S. Coast Guard Station.  And that proved to be a wonderful place to spend some time.

Plenty of room to park - and a view of the Point Judith Lighthouse out the back window!

Just before the entrance to the Coast Guard Station, Rose Nulman Park sits atop a small bluff overlooking what I believe would still be considered Block Island Sound.  The park is privately owned, but public access is allowed.  In fact, the property was purchased by Saul Nulman in 1993 for the specific purpose of allowing permanent public access to the waterfront as a way to honor his late mother, Rose.  In more recent times, Mr. Nulman’s family found it necessary to block off the park’s parking lot and “close” the park due to severe erosion issues.  The park is now in a state of limbo as the family works toward securing the funds needed to stabilize the shoreline.

The view from the park

That being said, the benches overlooking the sound are still there, and locals and visitors alike continue to park in the Coast Guard Station lot and walk up to the top of the bluff to enjoy the soothing whispers of the waves and the views of the sound.  Alan and I deemed it a delightful spot and we enjoyed both the views and the solitude we found there.  Gloria Benton and her family donated funds for one of the benches in the park to honor Gloria’s late husband, Robert, who loved to spend time in the park.  Having read their story, I examined every bench there until I found Robert’s and the plaque Gloria had placed on it in his honor: “In loving memory of my beloved husband Robert Benton, who is forever in my heart.  He found everything he loved here by the seashore."  Gloria has said that it’s the place where she feels closest to her husband, and she can often be found there, talking to Robert and gazing out at the water.

Robert's bench

After four nights in Massachusetts and two nights in Rhode Island, we moved on to a five night stay in Connecticut – the last stop on our Little States trip.   I hope you’ll join us on our adventures along the Connecticut coast.

The dawning of a new year represents a clean slate and the opportunity for each of us to write the next chapter of our lives.  Here’s hoping that your next chapter – and new year – starts off strong, glides along seamlessly and ends with a sense of incredible joy and a large measure of success.  Wishing you only life’s best in 2024!